Practice Bat

ABSTRACT

An improved training bat for training a batter to use a center portion of a bat rather than an off-center portion has a cylindrical handle portion of standard size and a reduced-diameter cylindrical head portion attached to the handle portion for contacting a ball, wherein at least the head portion of the bat is solid material. The bat may also have a handle stop affixed to an end of the handle portion opposite the head portion for retaining a user&#39;s hand in position on the bat.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/903,647, filed Feb. 27, 2007, which is incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to ball bats generally, and moreparticularly to a solid practice bat for allowing the striking of heavyballs while still presenting a minimal ball-striking surface.

BACKGROUND

There are many sports and games that involve hitting a thrown orotherwise projected ball with a swung “bat.” Typical examples of suchsports include baseball and softball, and within softball, the 12-inchand 16-inch varieties. Although there are many skills involved in thesuccessful playing of either baseball or softball, an important abilityfor all players is the ability to accurately strike a pitched ball witha swung bat so as to accurately strike the ball in a controlled manner.

Certainly playing softball and baseball will eventually develop skillsconsistent with the player's abilities; however, it is often desirableto hasten the learning curve by practicing the hitting of balls. Becausepractice time is not unlimited, it is important to ensure that practicesessions are spent learning good habits of stance, swing and so on toaccurately hit the ball. A baseball bat (or softball bat) has a ratherwide cylindrical striking head tapering to a smaller diameter handle bywhich the user grasps the bat. Although it is possible to hit the ballwith any portion of the broad striking surface, the maximum and mostefficient transfer of energy occurs when the ball is struck with thecentral portion of the bat face. In addition, the flight of the ball ismuch more predictable when the ball's point of impact on the bat iscentered. If the ball hits high on the bat surface, a pop-up may result,whereas if the ball hits low on the surface, an unintended ground ballmay result.

However, with a traditional bat, the user is not properly trained to useonly the center of the bat, since off-center hits are also possible.Thus, it is desirable for the batter to use a bat of reduced diameter sothat off center swings result in misses rather than merely inaccurate orinefficient hits. However, most such bats are formed in the same manneras a full size bat, i.e., either of a wooden rod or a hollow metallictube. Wood has less than desirable strength, stability and vibrationalproperties, while hollow metal tubes may exhibit lower strength relativethe heightened stresses of focusing the ball on a smaller surface. Inaddition, both types of bats tend to exhibit unrealistic weightproperties so that the batter is not receiving an accurate hittingexperience and had to readjust their stance and mechanics when laterusing a full size bat.

The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid thereader. It is not intended to limit the innovation, and thus should notbe taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system isunsuitable for use within the described and/or claimed system, nor is itintended to indicate any element, including solving the motivatingproblem, to be essential in implementing the innovations describedherein. The implementations and application of the innovations describedherein are defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect, an improved training bat for training a batter to use acenter portion of a bat rather than an off-center portion has acylindrical handle portion of standard size and a reduced-diametercylindrical head portion attached to the handle portion for contacting aball, wherein at least the head portion of the bat is solid material.The bat may also have a handle stop affixed to an end of the handleportion opposite the head portion for retaining a user's hand inposition on the bat.

Additional and alternative features and aspects of the disclosed systemand method will be appreciated from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a practice bat according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view of a training bat according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional side view of a training bat according to analternative embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of a practice bat according to analternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure relates to a solid practice bat for allowing thestriking of heavy balls such as baseballs and a variety of softballswhile still presenting a minimal ball-striking surface for trainingpurposes. The end result is a bat that, although having a smallerdiameter than traditional bats, can withstand similar usage.

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a practice bat according to anembodiment of the invention. The disclosed bat 100 comprises a handleportion 102 and a head portion 104. The bat 100 optionally furthercomprises a handle stop 106 at a distal end of handle 102 relative tohead portion 104. During use, the user grasps the bat 100 by way of thehandle 102 to swing the head portion 104 at an oncoming pitched ball.The stop 106 acts to retain the user's hand on the handle 102 againstopposing centrifugal forces as the bat 100 is swung, the centrifugalforces tending to pull the bat 100 axially from the user's grasp. Thehandle stop 106 is approximately 1.56 inches in diameter in anembodiment of the invention, while the handle 102 diameter is about0.716 inches in diameter.

Although it will be appreciated that the drawings are not exactly toscale for every implementation of the invention, nonetheless a salientfeature visible in FIG. 1 is that the head or barrel portion 104 of thebat 100 is of very similar, but slightly greater, diameter as the handleportion 102. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the diameterof the head portion 104 is between 1.0 and 1.06 inches, for a ratio ofhead 104 diameter to handle diameter of 1.4 to 1.48. Without restrictingthe invention to exact ratios in all cases, an exemplary ratio of thediameter of the head portion 104 to the diameter of the handle portion102 is 1.44.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view of a training bat according to anembodiment of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the bat 100comprises a solid piece 108 of metal such as aluminum, formed to havethe handle 102, head, 104, and stop portions as discussed above. Theshape of the bat 100 may be created by machining, molding, or otherforming means as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.Although illustrated as a single piece, it will be appreciated that thebat 100 may comprise multiple pieces joined together for ease ofmanufacture or to provide for disassembly.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional side view of a training bat according to analternative embodiment of the invention. In the illustrated alternativeembodiment, the bat 100 comprises a piece of metal such as aluminum,formed to have the handle 102, head, 104, and stop portions as discussedabove. However, in this embodiment of the invention, the bat 100comprises a solid structure 110 within the head portion 104 and a hollowcavity 112 within the handle portion 102. In this manner, the weightratio between the handle 102 and head 104 portions is similar to that ofa full size bat.

It will be appreciated that in all embodiments of the invention, thediameter of the handle portion 102 is the same as that of a full sizebat, e.g., about 0.716 inches. Thus, if the head portion 104 is ofreduced diameter, the balance of the bat will shift toward the handle ifthe interior of the bat is solid as desired in at least the head portion104. The hollowing of the handle 102 in this embodiment of the inventionserves to return the balance point of the bat 100 to approximately thatof a full size bat.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of a practice bat according to analternative embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment of theinvention, the handle portion 102 of the bat 100 is wrapped in agrip-enhancing or shock-absorbing material 114.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing description provides examplesof the disclosed system and technique. However, it is contemplated thatother implementations of the disclosure may differ in detail from theforegoing examples. All references to examples herein are intended toreference only the particular example being discussed at that point andare not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of theinnovation more generally. All language of distinction and disparagementwith respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack ofpreference for those features, but not to exclude such from the scope ofthe innovation entirely unless otherwise indicated.

Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as ashorthand method of referring individually to each separate valuefalling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and eachseparate value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Accordingly, this innovation includes all modifications and equivalentsof the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permittedby applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-describedelements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. A training bat for training a batter to use a center portion of a batrather than an off-center portion, the training bat comprising: acylindrical handle portion for allowing a user to grasp and swing thebat, the cylindrical handle portion having a first diameter; acylindrical head portion attached to the handle portion for contacting aball, the cylindrical head portion having a second diameter, wherein theratio of the first and second diameters is between about 1.4 and about1.48; and a handle stop affixed to an end of the handle portion oppositethe head portion for retaining a user's hand in position on the bat. 2.The training bat according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical handleportion has a cavity therein.
 3. The training bat according to claim 1,wherein the balance point of the bat is substantially the same as thatof a standard baseball bat.
 4. The training bat according to claim 1,wherein the balance point of the bat is substantially the same as thatof a standard softball bat.
 5. The training bat according to claim 1,wherein the bat is made at least partly of wood.
 6. The training bataccording to claim 1, wherein the bat is made at least partly of metal.7. The training bat according to claim 6, wherein the bat is made atleast partly of aluminum.
 8. The training bat according to claim 1,wherein the head portion comprises a cavity in an end of the headportion distal from the handle portion.
 9. The training bat according toclaim 1, wherein the bat has a length of about 31 inches.
 10. Thetraining bat according to claim 1, wherein the bat has a length of about26 inches.